North America Distribution

Facts

Sanfoin is native to Europe and western Asia and is cultivated as forage in some areas. It is naturalized in parts of western and northern North America, and in New England has been collected in Massachusetts and Vermont in fields and abandoned homesteads.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields

Characteristics

Habitat

terrestrial

Flower petal color

blue to purple

pink to red

Leaf type

the leaves are compound (made up of two or more discrete leaflets

Leaf arrangement

alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem

Leaf blade edges

the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)

Flower symmetry

there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)

Clonal plantlets

Flowers

the anthers have narrow slits or furrows that run lengthwise along the anthers

Anther spurs

the anthers do not have spurs on them

Carpels fused

NA

the carpel is solitary or (if 2 or more) the carpels are not fused to one another

Cleistogamous flowers

there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan

Corolla morphology

NA

Corolla palate

no

Corona lobe length

0 mm

Epicalyx

the flower does not have an epicalyx

Epicalyx number of parts

0

Filament surface

the filament is smooth, with no hairs or scales

Flower description

the flower has a superior ovary and a hypanthium

Flower petal color

blue to purple

pink to red

Flower reproductive parts

the flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts

Flower symmetry

there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)

Flowers sunken into stem

no

Form of style

the style is knob-like at the tip, and unbranched

Fused stamen clusters

there are two clusters of fused stamens

Fusion of sepals and petals

both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused

the petals or the sepals are fused into a cup or tube

Hairs on inflorescence

the axis of the inflorescence has hairs entirely without glands

Horns in hoods (Asclepias)

NA

Hypanthium

the flower has a hypanthium

Inner tepals (Rumex)

NA

Nectar spur

the flower has no nectar spurs

Number of carpels

1

Number of pistils

1

Number of sepals, petals or tepals

there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower

there are four petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower

Number of styles

1

Ovary position

the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment

Petal and sepal arrangement

the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures

Petal and sepal colors

blue to purple

pink to red

Petal appearance

the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)

Petal folding in bud

the petals in bud are arranged in a cycle with edges overlapping like roof shingles (imbricate)

Petal folds or pleats

the petals of the flower do not have folds or plaits

the petals of the flower have folds or plaits on them

Petal hairs (Viola)

NA

Petal length

8–10 mm

Petal number

5

Petal shape

the petal outline is obovate (roughly egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)

Petal tip shape

the petal tip is rounded

Petal tips (Cuscuta)

NA

Raceme attachment (Veronica)

NA

Reproductive system

NA

Scales inside corolla

no

Sepal and petal color

the sepals are different from the petals

Sepal appendages

the sepals do not have appendages on them

Sepal appendages (Oenothera)

NA

Sepal cilia

the sepals have cilia on their edges

Sepal length

5–7 mm

Sepal number

5

Sepal relative length

the sepal lobes are longer than the fused portion

Sepal shape

the sepal outline is lanceolate (lance-shaped; narrow, gradually tapering from the base to the tip)

the sepal outline is subulate (narrowly tapering from the base to the apex; awl-shaped)

Sepal tip shape

the sepal tip is acuminate (tapers to a very narrow point)

Sepal uniformity

all the sepals are about the same size

Sepals fused only to sepals

the sepals are fused to each other (not other flower parts), at least near their bases

Stamen number

10

Stamen position relative to petals

the stamens are lined up with the petals

the stamens are lined up with the sepals

Stamens fused

the stamens are attached to one another at or near their bases

Staminodes

there are no staminodes on the flower

Stigma position

the stigmas are positioned at the tip of the style

Style petal-like

the styles are not petal-like

Umbel flower reproductive parts

NA

Upper lip of bilabiate corolla

NA

Fruits or seeds

Achene relative orientation

NA

Achene shape

NA

Achene surface (Polygonum)

NA

Achene type

NA

Berry color

NA

Capsule color (Viola)

NA

Capsule ribs

NA

Capsule splitting

NA

the capsule splits by two main valves, teeth or pores

Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence

NA

Fruit cross-section

the fruit is at least somewhat flattened

Fruit features (Brassicaceae)

NA

Fruit length

5–8 mm

Fruit locules

one

Fruit shape

the fruit is ovoid (egg-shaped)

the fruit is spherical

Fruit type (general)

the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe

Fruit type (specific)

the fruit is a legume (a fruit that splits into two valves, but only has a single carpel; think of a pea pod)

Fruit width

5–6 mm

Legumes (Fabaceae)

the legume has none of the mentioned special features

Mericarp length

0 mm

Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)

NA

Other markings on berry

NA

Placenta arrangement

the plant has parietal placentation, where ovules develop on the wall or slight outgrowths of the wall forming broken partitions within a compound ovary

Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)

NA

Schizocarpic fruit compression

NA

Schizocarpic fruit segments

0

Seed number

1

Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)

NA

Wings on fruit

the fruit does not have wings on it

prickles on fruits

the fruits are armed with thorns-like defensive structures

Glands or sap

Glands on leaf blade

the leaf blades have glandular dots or scales

Sap

the sap is clear and watery

Sap color

the sap is clear

Growth form

Growth form

the plant is an herb (it has self-supporting stems)

Lifespan

the plant lives more than two years

Parasitism

the plant is not parasitic

Plant color

the leaves or young stems of the plant are green

Spines on plant

the plant has no spines

there are spines on the plant

Leaves

Bracteole number (Apiaceae)

0

Bracteoles

the plant has bracteoles between the primary bracts and the flowers

Bracts in plantain (Plantago)

NA

Final leaf segment length (compound lvs only)

20–30 mm

Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)

4–10 mm

Floral bracts

the flower has one or more bracts associated with it

Hairs on underside of leaf

the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy

Leaf arrangement

alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem

Leaf blade base

the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)

the leaf has no stalk

Leaf blade base shape

the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow

Leaf blade base symmetry

the leaf blade base is symmetrical

Leaf blade edges

the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)

Leaf blade length

100–180 mm

Leaf blade primary vein pattern

the secondary veins branch off at intervals from the primary vein

Leaf blade shape

the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)

the leaf blade is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)

Leaf blade surface colors

the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color

Leaf blade veins

the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base towards the tip (it may or may not have secondary veins)

Leaf duration

the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)

Leaf form

the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture

Leaf hair orientation

the hairs are flat against the leaf surface, mostly pointing towards the leaf tip

Leaf spines

there are no spines on the leaf edges

Leaf stalk

the leaves have leaf stalks

Leaf teeth and lobes

the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)

Leaf type

the leaves are compound (made up of two or more discrete leaflets

Leaf types

There is a gradual change in appearance of the leaves from the base (or near the base) of the plant to those from further up on the stem, with leaves progressively changing as one moves higher on the stem (often becoming shorter, or less toothed/lobed, and/or with shorter petioles).

Leaflet number

13–19

Leaflet petiolules

the leaflets of the compound leaf lack petiolules

Leaves per node

there is one leaf per node along the stem

Pinnately compound leaf type

the pinnately compound leaves have a terminal leaflet (and usually have an odd number of leaflets per axis)

Specific leaf type

the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis

Stipels

there are no stipels at the bases of the petiolules

Stipule features

NA

Stipule fused to leaf stalk

the stipules are fused to the petioles for some or most of their length

Stipule length

7–9 mm

Stipule shape

the stipules are ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)

the stipules are triangular

Stipules

the plant has stipules

Teeth per side of leaf blade

0

Place

Habitat

terrestrial

Specific habitat

man-made or disturbed habitats

meadows or fields

Stem, shoot, branch

Branched tendrils

NA

Hair between stem nodes

the stem has hairs between the nodes

the stem has no hairs between the nodes

Leaves on stem

there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem

Plant height

30–60 cm

Stem orientation

the stems are upright or angled outwards

Tendril origin

NA

Tendrils

the plant does not have tendrils

Wetland Status

Not classified

New England Distribution and Conservation Status

Distribution

Connecticut

absent

Maine

absent

Massachusetts

present

New Hampshire

absent

Rhode Island

absent

Vermont

present

Conservation Status

Exact status definitions can vary from state to
state. For details, please check with your state.